An eight-page letter Akron Board of Education Member Rene Molenaur wrote in July to her fellow board members raised an alarm about months of interactions with Superintendent Michael Robinson. Molenaur outlined what she described as a pattern of unprofessional and, at times, abrasive communication — actions she felt could move Akron Public Schools’ leadership in a “dangerous direction.” Robinson called her a “headache,” Molenaur said, and threatened to take legal action by filing a grievance, lawsuit and ethics violation against her. She directly accused Robinson of bullying her multiple times: She wrote that Robinson shouted at her during a virtual meeting in March, loudly enough for those within earshot of his office to privately message her, asking if she was OK. Molenaur also recalled Robinson saying to her: “You think that I’m stupid and you’re trying to play me and that’s not going to happen. And if you think that I’m that dumb then I feel sorry for you because you can sit there and play games all you want to, but I can tell you this much, if you come for me, I’m not going to take it lying down.” Molenaur’s letter states she spent months trying to build a relationship with Robinson after he was hired in July 2023. In March, when her attempts were unsuccessful and their professional relationship degraded to the point of alleged shouting, she elevated her concerns to board leadership. When those attempts at accountability and transparency faltered, she penned her July letter to the rest of the board. Board President Diana Autry said Wednesday the issues Molenaur raised in July were addressed in the superintendent’s evaluation. “This board, at least the majority, is supportive of this superintendent,” Autry said. “So we are focused on moving forward, and the gains we recently made. “Issues with a particular board member does not override the health of the entire district.” Molenaur’s letter came to light about a month before Election Day, when residents will vote on Issue 27, the combined operating and building construction levy for the district. Signal Akron obtained Molenaur’s letter, along with emails from her and other board members, through a public records request. Molenaur said on Wednesday she raised the issue to spark growth on the part of the superintendent. “We set an example for students by portraying leadership as making responsible decisions for the greater good, instead of trying to defend or maintain a position of power,” Molenaur said in a statement. “In my letter to my board colleagues, I shared my personal examples as an opportunity for professional improvement for the superintendent, as it is our responsibility to promote growth in the role.” APS-Molenaur-July-letterDownloadHer letter was shared with board members on July 2 — days before the superintendent’s evaluation. It included Molenaur’s request for an executive session to discuss her experiences with Robinson and attempt to hold him accountable, she wrote in emails to board colleagues.Autry said Molenaur’s concerns could distract from the district’s focus. “The focus here should be on children,” Autry told Signal Akron. “It is not proper nor is it healthy to [litigate] personnel situations in the media, so it is unfortunate that this is happening at a time when our children are looking to us for support.”Board Member Barbara Sykes declined to comment for this story. Board Vice President Carla Jackson and Members Summer Hall and Bruce Alexander could not be reached in time for publication. Robinson declined to comment. He is in his second year of a five-year contract. Molenaur was first selected to fill a board vacancy in April 2023. She was elected to remain on the board in November of that year. Her term runs through December 2027. “I am now bringing this to the full board’s attention because I believe that the specifics I have provided of threats, offensive remarks, work interference, and various excuses to withhold information from and sidestep the board are textbook examples of workplace bullying,” Molenaur wrote in her July letter. Diana Autry, president of the Akron Board of Education, listens to remarks surrounding transportation Monday, July 22, 2024. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)Molenaur alleges Robinson told her: ‘What a board member needs is what I provide’ Immediately following the virtual meeting in which Molenaur said Robinson yelled at her, Molenaur said she contacted Autry. It was decided that Molenaur and Robinson would no longer meet in person. Instead, Molenaur would submit up to 10 questions before each meeting through a Google Form. After Molenaur sent her July letter, Autry responded that she should continue attempting to build a relationship with Robinson, calling it an “ongoing process.” At that point, Molenaur had not had a personal meeting with Robinson in at least three months. “It is your right to talk to the full board about your personal experiences and so now that you have, what further do you seek, that is solution oriented?” Autry replied. Molenaur also raised concerns in her letter with what she said was an ongoing lack of transparency around high-dollar programs, as well as positions the superintendent was asking the board to vote on during a $12 million reduction in force and upcoming levy. “I am asking for clear information to be given to me because at the end of that day I need to be able to justify the decision I’m voting on for the community,” Molenaur said she communicated to Robinson during the March meeting. “What a board member needs is what I provide,” Robinson allegedly responded. “You seem to be the only board member that has a problem.” Superintendent Michael Robinson Jr. listens to Kim Stimler express her concerns during a public meeting held at Firestone Park Elementary School Monday, Dec. 11, 2023. Credit: (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)Alleged pattern of hostile communication pushes Molenaur to ask for outside helpMolenaur provided notes on a draft of Robinson’s July review, recommending in it that he “attend professional development courses focused on professional communication.” She also took issue with a portion of the review that said one of Robinson’s strengths was that he “establishes good rapport with various stakeholders and community leaders.” She said that statement should be removed from his review; that it did not align with her experiences with him or with what she heard from other education partners. Molenaur, however, was sensitive to the superintendent and school district’s public perception. She asked that nothing negative be included in the public review. Molenaur lobbied to publish the following statement in his review: “To support the superintendent’s growth, it is recommended that they attend professional development courses focused on professional communication. These courses will provide valuable tools and techniques to improve clarity, conciseness, and overall interaction with colleagues and stakeholders.” The statement was not included in Robinson’s evaluation.Molenaur: Transparency about salaries, proposals an ongoing issueMolenaur said Robinson’s lack of transparency has forced the board to vote on high-dollar positions and programs without a full accounting of the financial impact. Autry disagrees. She said she’s been privy to the majority of communications between Robinson and Molenaur and said that her questions have been answered. “Transparency and accountability are buzzwords,” Autry said. “They’re meant to inflame and discredit. And in this particular circumstance they are inaccurate.“She might not like some of the answers. She has indeed received them.” Before her March meeting with Robinson, Molenaur said she began to be “concerned that information was being withheld from the board.” In February, Molenaur requested information on the cost of a multi-tiered system of supports coordinator. She later wrote that, by June, after the board approved putting a levy on the November ballot and the administration cutting $12 million in salaries, she still had not received salary information about the coordinator position. Opaque job salaries proposed by Robinson’s administration were an issue at a Sept. 9 Akron Board of Education meeting. The administration asked the board to approve a new executive director of communications position without providing an expected salary range. Molenaur and Jackson, the board’s vice president, questioned the superintendent directly about the cost of a new executive position, but Robinson did not provide direct answers. The proposed executive communications position was voted down.“It is essential that we have comprehensive information on the items we are voting on,” Molenaur wrote in her July letter. “I submitted questions because approving items without understanding their costs would constitute a significant breach of trust with the community members who elected me.” The post Akron schools’ board member accuses superintendent of bullying, making threats appeared first on Signal Akron.First published by Signal Akron.